Improvement in firezarms



2 Sheets-Sheet l'.

YA. HENRY 8v D.FRASER.

Fire Arm.

No. 201,524.` Patented March'l9,r1878.

` 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2. A. RRNRY R D. FRASER. Fire Arm.

No. 201,524. 4 Patented March 19, 1878..

UNITED ,STATES PA'I-'Elwrf OFFICE.

ALEXANDER HENRY AND DANIEL FRASER, or EDINBURGH; NORTH BRITAIN, y SAID ERASERl A sSIeNoR To SAID HENRY.

' IMPROVEMENT IN F|RE;ARlVIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,524, dated March 19, 1878; application filed l Angustia 1877. Y

To all 'whom fit may concern;

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER HENRY, gun and rifle. manufacturer, and DANIEL FRA- SER, both of Edinburgh, inthe county of Mid- Lothian, North Britain, have invented Im' provements in Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification Our said invention, which relates to certain improvements in tire-arms, is applicable both to those which are muzzle-loadin g and to breechloading arms; and it has reference more especially to such fire-arms as are used in riiie matches or competitions, and which are fired from the backposition.

rlhe first part of theimprovements consists in providing the fire-arm with a second trigger some distance in advance of the ordinary trigger, and in forming the stock at the part where the second trigger is situated with a. pistol gripor. handle, or the equivalentthereof, for enabling the fire-arm to be. conveniently held when the person using it is lying inthe back position. iIn that portion ofthe stock which iSZSituated-between the second trigger and the lock-oriaction of the fire-arm a longslot or groove-'is cut, in which `a sliding rod or bar is.

situated. This rod or bar is so arranged that when the second trigger is pulled or moved but` very slightly the rody or bar is correspondingly moved backward, and either acts `directly upon-the ordinary trigger orupon the scar, (in either case so as to lift the Sear outof the bent or notch ofthe tumbler,) and, theree by releasing the tumbler, causes the arm to be discharged.

Another part of the improvements consists in forming .the butt or large I portionof the stock with a deep hollowcut up into it from the under side, and with a long pistol grip or handle projecting below, thus forming an ample rest for the fire-arm against the shoulder of the person using it when in the back position.

Another improvement consistsin adapting to the upper part of the butt-end of the stock a slidingpad, the object of which is that, coming into contact as it does with the cheek of the person using the iire-arm at the instant of firing, any abrasion of the iiesh, due to the recoil, is prevented.

On Sheet 1 of the drawings are V shown the arrangements for applying our invention to muzzle-loading fire-arms, and on Sheet 2 the arrangement for applying the same to rearms fitted with the breech-loading action of the said ALEXANDER HENRY.

Figure l, Sheet l, of the appended drawings is apart section and a partside elevation of the butt-end or stock of a muzzle-loading firearm fitted with a second trigger, A, some distance in advance of the ordinary trigger B; and that part of the stock in the neighborhood of which the second trigger A is situated is formed l with what isknown asa pistol grip orhandle,

C, which enables the lire-arm to be conveniently held when ythe person using, it is lying in the back position. The second trigger A is sus- .pended from and movable on a pin, C', and

between the two triggers A and B the stock has formed in it a long slot, through which a longrod,l) ,capable of sliding therein, is passed. The sliding bolt D is of such a length' that its ends bear upon or touch the respective triggers A and B, so that, as the triggerA is pulled by the person using the lire-arm when inthe back position, that pullis communicated by the long rod D to the ordinary trigger B, which is thereby moved or lifted on its axis or pivot,

just as if it had been directly pulled by the hand inthe ordinary manner, and, in bein g so operated, it lifts the Sear E out of the b ent or notch in the tumbler F, which, being thereby released, causesthedischarge of the fire-arm. f VIn order to enable the rod D to pass freely over yor around the screws or pins by which the action and trigger-guard are secured to they stock of the fire-arm, its after part is formed with a long slot therein, as shown in plan inV the detailed view, Fig. 2, Sheet 1, in

which the slot is marked Gr.

That part of the invention for preventing the abrasion of the cheekof the person using the fire-arm is also'shown at Fig. 1, Sheet 1', of the appended drawings. It consists in the sliding p ad H, iitted tothe upper partof the stock. Thispad maybe covered with leather, cloth, or other equivalent smooth or soft material; and its under part consists of a thin metallic plate, I, onto whichl the pad or cushion of soft material is fastened, this plate I being shaped so as to correspond with and slidefreely upon the' upper side of the butt. In this upper side of the butt a deep slot, J is cut, for the purpose of receiving the block K, to which the pad and plate H and I are fastened by screws, as shown at Fig. l, Sheet 1.

The sliding block K is kept in its placeby a long pin or bolt, L, driven longitudinally into the stock, as shown at Fig. l, Sheet l; and over the forward end of this pin or bolt L a spiral spring, M, is placed, which, being compressed between one end of the block K and the forward end of the slot J, presses the block K and pad H into their rearmost position, so that the pad H may rest quietly, or with but little motion, against or upon the cheek of the person using the-re-arm, while the arm itself recoils at the instant-of firing, and thus the abrasion of the 'cheek or liesh of the person using the arm, which would be otherwise caused by the bare and rigid surface of the stock being 'suddenly rubbed against the cheek by the recoil due to the discharge of the weapon, is prevented.

At Fig. 3, Sheet l, of the appended drawings the butt or large end of the stock is shown as formed with a deep hollow, N, cut up into it from the under side, so as to form a long pistol grip or handle, O, this arrangement admitting of an ample rest for the fire-arm against or upon the shoulder of the person using it when in the back position. The sliding pad H and its connections (shown at Fig. l, Sheet l) may also be applied to a stock constructed as shown on Fig. 3, Sheet l. v At Fig. 3, Sheet l, the long sliding rod D, inplace of being made to bear directly upon the trigger, is shown as bearing upon the sear E, which is formed with a tail-piece, rv, for that purpose.

At Sheet 2 of the appended drawings are shown such parts of the said ALEXANDER HEN- RYs breech action-namely, that wherein a sliding breech-piece is used-as are necessary to illustrate the application of our arrangement for iring from the back position. Of these gures, Fig. l is a longitudinal section of that portion of the breech-loading arrangement in which the breech-cavity A is situated, and to which the lock or firing parts of the arrangement are attached, which, with the exception of the trigger B, are not shown in the drawings, it being unnecessary for the purpose of illustrating the application thereto of our present improvements to there show them.

Fig. 2 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a plan of the under trigger-plate; Fig. 4, a side elevation of thebreech-cavity, and Fig. 5, an elevation of the face of the breechcavity, showing thc application of our present improvements.

' The forward end of the stock, to which the breech -loading arrangement illustrated on Sheet 2of the appended drawings is applied, is fitted with a second trigger and long rod, after the manner of those hereinbefore described,

with reference to Sheet l of the drawings, and

this rod acts upon the heada of a second sliding bar, I), carried in the lower part of the breech-action on the bottom plate Q, to which itis held by a screw, b, which passes through several iigures on Sheet 2, this4 larger portion r passing to some extent beneath the projecting bracket or trigger-box R, to which the trigger B is attached, which arrangement also aords additional security for keeping the bar P in its proper position.

^ With the arrangement hereinbefore described, in place of using-the second trigger A, its equivalent, such as a thumb or finger' piece, acting after the manner of a wedge or lever upon the sliding bolt or rod D, may be substituted, and the rodl may be arranged either to pull or push the trigger.

The foregoing improvements are applicable both to new iire-arms and for converting old arms.

Having thus described our invention, the following is what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a iire-arm, the combinationof two triggers, arranged one in advance of the other, and connected by a suitable rod or coupling, by which the arm is adapted to be fired by pressing either trigger, as and for the purpose setA forth. I v 2. A rear stock for hre-arms, provided with a cut or recess, N, in its under side, to fit over the shoulder of the operator, by which the front trigger is placed within reach of the hand, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination of the pad H, sliding block K, bolt L, and a suitable spring, as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEX. HENRY.

D. FRASER.

Witnesses: Y

ALEX. BROWN, l f

No. l2 South St. Andrew Street, Edinburgh JAivrEs BLAIR,

(No. 8 Ty'necastle Terrace, Edinburgh. 

